AT&T Adjusts Data-Throttling Policy in Response to Customer Complaints

AT&T Adjusts Data-Throttling Policy in Response to Customer Complaints:

AT&T has adjusted its throttling policy for unlimited-data-plan subscribers.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired

In response to recent widespread criticism, AT&T announced Thursday that it will simplify elements of its throttling policy for unlimited-data-plan subscribers.

All unlimited-data-plan users who exceed 3GB of data in a single month will now experience reduced speeds on AT&T’s 3G network for the remainder of their billing cycles. 4G subscribers, meanwhile, can use up to 5GB of data in a billing period, after which data speeds will be throttled. AT&T notes that users on the unlimited plan can still use as much data as they like, just at compromised speeds. Customers on tiered plans are not affected by today’s changes.

Before, the top 5 percent of unlimited-data-plan subscribers in a region were subject to throttling — a subjective, sliding scale that throttled users even if they were only using a meager 1GB to 3GB of data in a month.

Many felt AT&T was using bullying tactics to push unlimited subscribers into switching to a tiered data plan. Indeed, under the old policy, customers on the verge of throttling were sent a simple text message: “Your data use this month places you in the top 5% of users. Use Wi-Fi to help avoid reduced speeds.” The message ends with a link to information on AT&T’s tiered pricing schemes.

A number of people receiving this message weren’t even trafficking immense amounts of data. They were using amounts similar to those on tiered data plans (that is, under 3GB) and wondering why their data speeds should be reduced. The unlimited data plan and 3GB tiered data plan are both priced at $30.

Here’s how AT&T’s new policy works, according to the carrier’s updated support pages:

If you have a smartphone that works on our 3G or 4G network and still have an unlimited data plan,

• You’ll receive a text message when your usage approaches 3GB in one billing cycle.


• Each time you use 3GB or more in a billing cycle, your data speeds will be reduced for the rest of that billing cycle and then go back to normal.


• The next time you exceed that usage level, your speeds will be reduced without another text message reminder.


• If you have a 4G LTE smartphone and still have an unlimited data plan, the same process applies at 5GB of data usage, instead of 3GB.

You’ll still be able to use as much data as you want. That won’t change. Only your data throughput speed will change if you use 3GB or more in one billing cycle on a 3G or 4G smartphone or 5GB or more on a 4G LTE smartphone.

Wired reached out to AT&T to determine the degree to which user speeds will be reduced under the new throttling plan, but the carrier hasn’t yet responded.